Mission Briefing

"..." Walter looked speechlessly at the Herrscher before him, momentarily at a loss for what to say.

And so, the two Herrschers silently stared at each other, neither speaking first—until Walter noticed the faint blue glow on Xina's hand. "Then ask away! I also have a few questions for you."

"Fine. I accept the option of exchanging questions. You're the senior, so you go first." Xina gave a slight nod and gestured for Walter to begin.

"Your identity is..."

Before Walter could finish asking a question she might find difficult to answer, Xina replied directly: "A Herrscher born from the Fourth Honkai Eruption in Singapore."

"Alright..."

Walter sighed, seeming a bit disappointed that he hadn't pried out the true identity of the Herrscher before him, but he quickly recovered. "You can ask your question now."

"Good. My question is..."

Xina paused for a moment, then spoke: "Why did you, as a Herrscher, betray 'God'? After the Second Herrscher appeared, you joined forces with humanity to hunt her down. Logically... aren't we supposed to be kindred?"

"'God'?!"

Hearing that familiar term, Walter's expression shifted.

Just as with the Second Herrscher, a fully realized Herrscher could converse with [Honkai]!

"Judging by your reaction, it seems you haven't spoken with 'God'... Then I don't need your answer now. Because I roughly understand!" Xina calmly studied the First Herrscher with her eyes, her tone tinged with a hint of pity and disappointment.

"Don't look at me like that. You don't understand—your 'God' is using you!"

"I know." Xina seemed to smile. She nodded and stood up, then after a long pause, let out a soft sigh and replied leisurely: "But I savor that kind of use... with relish!"

"Wha... what..."

At that moment, Walter finally realized the crux of the issue. Apart from a few exceptions, almost every apostle chosen by Honkai harbored a deep hatred for humanity. Their anger and resentment were their driving force.

"Why have you gone quiet..."

"Hmm... come to think of it, you probably can't understand my days of struggling to survive in the cracks while still being bullied. In other words, whether it's being used or helped! Back then, even if I had to choose ten thousand times over, I'd still pick the same answer."

"Since you hold such malice toward humanity, then..." Walter raised his right hand, aiming the strange spherical object at the Fourth Herrscher. From the warped light around it, if Walter struck, whether it hit or not, the consequences would be terrifying.

"Don't try to attack me here. Before your fragile body completely collapses, you might not be able to kill me. And if I survive, you'll only get to watch my revenge from hell."

With that, Xina turned and walked toward the door, vanishing into the thick darkness. Along with her, the frost covering every wall and floor of Walter's office disappeared.

Stepping on stairs formed from ice, Xina silently returned to her room. She looked at the life-sized puppet lying flat on her bed, snapped her fingers, and turned it to ash.

Picking up her pajamas from the bed and shaking them out, she casually hung them on the rack, then flopped onto the bed and sighed: "Such a cute face—destroying it really breaks my heart!"

The next morning, due to a summons from Destiny Headquarters, Theresa and the other two branches planned a Honkai cleanup operation led by the Far East Branch, with the other two branches supporting.

The destination happened to be the site of the last Honkai Eruption—Singapore.

Hearing that name, a playful smile crept onto Xina's face: Perfect, just like going home!

As a military academy under the Far East Branch of Destiny, St. Freya canceled all upcoming courses once this large-scale combat mission was set.

Because Fu Hua and Himeko, as A-Rank Valkyries, had separate assignments, the students in Himeko's class could form teams with people they knew well.

As the class ranking first in both peak combat power and overall strength, their small class naturally ensured each individual's combat proficiency.

Looking around, in other classes, B-Ranks were scarce; here, they were everywhere.

Even Xina, a transfer student, was a B+ elite on track to become an A-Rank Valkyrie.

Kiana originally wanted to be the team leader and even voted for herself.

But... during the voting process, Bronya cast a single vote to veto Kiana's unrealistic fantasy.

And so, the two of them bickered at the door, neither willing to back down.

In the end, Xina stepped in as a mediator, suggesting both sides compromise and let Mei be the leader.

You ask why Xina didn't take the leader role herself?

Because she was the leader of another team!

Before Himeko and Fu Hua joined Theresa for the senior Valkyrie meeting, they had already assigned Xina's mission:

I'll give you two bodyguards and a prototype high-power sniper rifle. Find a vantage point, set up the large sniper rifle, and provide cover for the other teams as they advance.

How about it? Not too hard for an ace sniper like you, right?